


Anxiety Day

by Firelord_Eva



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Bending (Avatar TV), Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Anxious Zuko (Avatar), Bisexual Sokka (Avatar), Comfort Objects, Cuddling & Snuggling, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Fluff, Gay Zuko (Avatar), Happy Ending, Hurt Zuko (Avatar), Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Nightmares, POV Sokka (Avatar), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Sokka (Avatar), Sokka is a good husband, zukka - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-18
Updated: 2020-11-18
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:29:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27623417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Firelord_Eva/pseuds/Firelord_Eva
Summary: Sokka helps his husband through an anxiety attack after work.
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 31
Kudos: 176





	Anxiety Day

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy this. I almost never do Sokka's POV so I hope it isn't too bad.

Sokka came home as soon as he was off work. Normally he would stay after for a bit and socialize and then stop for some food for him and Zuko, but today Zuko worked from home after a lot of convincing from Sokka. He had more nightmares than normal last night, and he was still shaking from them when they woke up. He wanted to try and work through it at the office, but Sokka knew that he would end up worse off than he would be at home and he would probably end up leaving early anyway. 

“Hey Zu, I’m home,” Sokka called as he walked through the door. “You doing okay?” He asked when he didn’t get a quick response. He wasn’t worried about the lack of response with how often he gets absorbed in his work and tunes out the world, but what Zuko eventually responded with, however, was worrying. 

“Bedroom.” Came the short response. It sounded like that one word drained all the energy Zuko had left. Normally he would be working away in the office or, if his anxiety started getting bad, in the kitchen punching some form of dough. Sokka quickly made his way over to their bedroom knowing that Zuko wouldn’t be in their room unless there was an issue. He found him curled up in the corner hitting his legs most likely leaving bruises. 

Zuko had been getting better at stopping his anxious self-harm, Sokka noticed him making an effort to flatten his hands when he started to hit himself or putting something else between him and his hands. He was also getting better at not scratching bare skin, but he still struggled on bad days like this. Sokka walked over and grabbed Zuko’s hands. He immediately tried to pull away, but Sokka didn’t pressure him into continuing the contact, he just simply flattened his husband’s hands and pulled his hands back. He knew there was no point in trying to get him to stop, but at least he could minimize the damage that was to inevitably occur. 

Sokka made sure to grab Zuko’s velvet turtleduck plush that always helped him calm down and his weighted blanket. He handed Zuko the turtleduck while wrapping the blanket around his shoulders. Sokka had learned the hard way that he couldn’t put it across his front without him feeling pinned and panicking more. They sat together for a long time, Sokka sitting next to him while he ran his hands over the velvet and had the blanket across his back. Eventually, Zuko calmed down but he didn’t move more than to lean against Sokka, which he took as the cue to pull him into his lap and wrap his arms around him. 

“H-Hi” Zuko said about 20 minutes later. This was always the way Sokka knew that he was ready to talk about whatever happened. 

“Do you want to tell me what happened? I know the anniversary is close and on top of that you had a long night, but usually, it isn’t this bad unless it’s the actual anniversary or there was a trigger.” Having been together for 8 years and married for 3 they knew each other like the back of their hands. Sokka figured that something had happened with work that stressed him. He absolutely hated anytime the company did anything even slightly related to what his father would’ve done, and it usually led to an anxiety attack if it was already a bad day. 

“It was getting rough when you left, but I thought I could handle it. Then I opened an email and all of the employees in the accounting department went on strike. Apparently one of my managers decided that he wasn’t going to bring me their complaints even after saying he would. I kinda panicked and I don’t remember, but apparently, I ended up here. I do remember closing my laptop though, I didn’t want to make a stupid mistake.” Zuko said. It didn't surprise Sokka that Zuko didn't know how he got there, he almost never remembered moving to a spot his mind has deemed safe. 

"Do you have anything else that you absolutely  _ need _ to get done for work?" Sokka asked. He knew that there were a lot of things that needed to be done, but he also knew that there were very few things that needed to be done that night. Zuko shook his head. "Then we're gonna move this to somewhere more comfortable. Bed, couch, or floor?" He asked. Zuko always seemed to end up on the corner of their bedroom, but after he was calmed enough to move Sokka made sure that they made it somewhere more comfortable for the rest of the night so they didn’t end up sore the next day. 

“Floor please,” Zuko responded. Other people might find moving from one floor to another odd, but their living room had thick plush carpeting unlike their bedroom and a TV, and Sokka’s learned that whenever Zuko is really anxious he wants to take up as little space as possible so that means they made their way to the corner of their living room and sat together for the rest of the night watching stupid shows and movies. 

“Alright. We’re gonna go to the corner, I’m gonna put on some stupid mindless show, and then I’m gonna order pizza. Then, we’re going to spend the rest of the night cuddling and eating said pizza.” Sokka said as he held out a hand for Zuko to help him up. After Zuko was standing and making his way towards the living room Sokka stooped down and grabbed the forgotten blanket that would most definitely still help, and before leaving the room he also grabbed Zuko’s hoodie. It was huge, grey, he made Sokka wear it for a day every time it was washed, and the ends of the sleeves were stretched out because of the way Zuko wrapped them in his fists when he was anxious, but it was definitely his favorite. That sweater was Zuko’s favorite comfort item, only surpassing his turtleduck because he could wear it in public and not be judged because of it. 

After leaving their bedroom, Sokka set the blanket down to the side and handed Zuko his sweater. The way his face split into a genuine smile, probably the first of the day, was enough to make Sokka’s whole day better. After Zuko put on his sweater and pulled his blanket onto his lap, Sokka put on a stupid show called  _ The Floor is Lava _ and went to order pizza.

Normally they would settle for something like Pizza Hut or Dominos that they both loved, but Sokka ordered from Fat Jack’s this time. It was Zuko’s favorite even if Sokka personally didn’t get the appeal. He set it for delivery and they gave an estimated 40 minutes before the food would get there. He made his way over to where Zuko was curled up and sat down next to him. 

“You feeling better love?” He asked. He knew that his husband wouldn’t be feeling normal again until he had a good night’s rest, but he hoped that he was feeling at least a little better now that he had his comfort items and someone to cuddle with. 

“Yes.Thank you, Sokka.” Zuko responded before kissing him softly and curling up against his side as they watched TV together. 

The two of them stayed in the same position for roughly half an hour before their apartment buzzer sounded saying that the pizza was there. Zuko reluctantly let Sokka get up to go grab the pizza. Before either of them knew what was happening, the pizza was gone and they were making their way back to their bed. 

The two of them fell asleep with Sokka curled protectively around Zuko and holding him close. The nightmares still came and the anxiety attacks still hit without much warning, but they dealt with it together which made it slightly more bearable. 

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment? Pretty please? They fuel my ability to continue writing. No pressure though. I hope you enjoyed! <3<3<3


End file.
